FOURTH SUNDAY OF THE LENT - YEAR C

THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT – YEAR C (Joshua 5:9a, 10-12; 2 Cor 5:17-21; Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32) Theme: Let Us Be In The House of God With Faith and With Joy Reflection: God is always merciful towards his children - A walk towards the mercy of God: We are entering into the fourth Sunday of the Lent. Our journey comes a little bit closer to the destiny. The point of arrival is nearing. We are preparing to participate in the great joy of the Easter. We are on the way and we need to continue until the end without turning back and without losing hope. We are not alone in this walk. Jesus is our companion. He walks with us. He enriches us with his own experience. In fact, it is he who has guided us until now and guides us through until the end. In the first week, he has called us to undergo the desert experience of prayer, fasting and solitude to know what we are and to know what God wants from and through us. In the second week, he has taken us up to the mountain and has given us the glimpse of glory that we will be having after completion of the way of passion and cross. In the third week, last Sunday, he has pruned us, nourished us and helped us to become beautiful and fruitful tree in the vineyard of the Lord. Today, he leads us one step further. He guides us “to meet” the merciful face of God. The wonderful story of “the prodigal son” is the spiritual nourishment that he provides for us both for reflection and for living. It is the story which reveals the mercy of the Father towards his children in the ultimate mode. - Luke – The Evangelist of Merciful God: In this liturgical year we have the gospel reading from Luke. Luke presents the essence of God as kind, merciful, forgiving and embracing the sinners and eliminated of the society. Mercy of God towards his children who have gone astray from him is present in every word of his Gospel. Jesus is the presence of God’s mercy in the world. Each evangelist has his own way of presenting the gospel to his audience. For Mathew, Jesus is the perfection and accomplishment of the Old Covenant and Law. For Mark, Jesus is the Messiah and Savior of the world. For John, Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God’s love. For Luke, as it was already indicated, Jesus is the incarnation of God’s mercy in the world, especially to the poor, oppressed and marginalized. Jesus presents to the world a God who waits with love for the return of dispersed children and a God who embraces them with forgiving mercy. - God of the Old Testament is God of Mercy: The theme that “God is kind and full of mercy” runs throughout the Old Testament also. From the beginning of his entrance into the history of Israel, God made known himself as the Father who is merciful. It is his mercy that made him to go in search of his people who were unfaithful to him and thus were in the condition of “lost sons”. He did not leave them to their fall and fate. He searches for them. He goes out to meet them. He interacts with them. He calls them back to his bosom. Finally, he organizes a feast and a banquet for all his returned children. It is his mercy that delivered them from the slavery of Egypt and lead them to the land of milk and honey. His mercy is manifested in every word he utters through his prophets. His kindness is revealed in every action he accomplishes for the restoration of his people. It is only the Jewish authorities who have interpreted the law for their advantage that have changed the image of God. They have demonstrated the Old Testament God to be a God who punishes and who condemns his children. However, the entire truth of God’s nature of mercy and kindness is manifested to the fullness in the person and work of Jesus. His mercy does not have any borders. He meets even those who are considered “cursed” by his religious society. He sits with the sinners and tax-collectors. He eats with them. He shares their bread. God is present in the person of Jesus. His mercy is manifested in the action of Jesus. Entire gospel of Luke presents Jesus as the one who always loves to stay with the poor, small and simple. The three stories of pardon and mercy present in the fifteenth chapter of Luke are the perfect examples for this. The mercy of the Father will be profoundly understood once we enter into the reflection of Gospel passage today. Readings: Return of the Son and Embrace of the Father - A Feast of Reconciliation - Difference of Attitude – The Context: Jesus reveals the mercy of God through his words and actions. By preferring to stay with the least ones of the society he becomes a man for others. His entire life is a testimony of God’s salvation to these little ones who are rejected and neglected. Jesus expresses in his words how the merciful God takes side of them. Jesus proclaims this truth in his proclamation of the kingdom of God. The highlighting chapter in Luke is the present chapter in which Jesus manifests God’s mercy for the lost ones in three different parables. The last one is presented to us in today’s gospel reading. However, before entering into the significance of the story, it is obligatory to understand and enter into the context in which Jesus narrates the story. Jesus wants to make a difference of attitude between two groups of people. One group consists of Pharisees and Sadducees. Another group consists of the Publicans and Sinners. The context is that Jesus is preaching. The sinners and tax-collectors come to stay with him and to listen to him (Luke 15:1). The Pharisees and Sadducees also come, not to listen to his words, but to criticize and blame him because of his presence with the cursed ones (Luke 15:2). Observing this attitude of both groups, Jesus starts telling a story (Luke 15:3). One group, though e - Story of the Younger Son – An attitude of Repentance: The younger son of the story demands the share of his property, takes it and goes far away from home, spends all that he has and finally finds himself in the utter condition of hunger and humility. In his helpless condition he comes to his senses, he realizes his grave mistake and he does not feel shy to accept his condition in the presence of his father. He returns. He shows an attitude of repentance. His repentance is both inwards and outwards: he comes to himself and he comes to his Father. o Returning to himself: The first thing in the repentance is to realize one’s condition and correct himself with the sincere and committed sorrowfulness for what he has done. The younger son realizes that it is he himself who has rejected his father. He acknowledges that it is he himself who have developed a kind of distrust towards his father. Distrust is the cause for the rejection. But once he comes to know that he has created such a horrible condition of the slavery for himself, he remembers the days of his stay at home and with his father. He says to himself: there are many workers who have abundance of bread at home and whereas he is suffering here with the dejection. He gets up with confidence that he would be received by his father. He accumulates his trust in his Father’s merciful acceptance. It is this act of getting up that shows that he has returned to himself. o Returning to the Father: Personal realization of proper error committed is not enough. It needs to be acknowledged with the one against whom it is directed. The younger son does it. He does not come back to his Father’s house merely because he is starving with the hunger or because he can have abundance of food. He comes back with the contrite heart and purified intention. He knows the consequence of his act: he cannot be anymore his son. He is aware that he has no more place in his father’s house. He wants to be at least a servant. His act of contrition is expressed in his words: “Father, I have sinned against the heaven and against you. I am not worthy to be called your son. Take me as one of your servants.” With the renewed confidence in the father he returns to his house. - Story of the Elder Son – An attitude of Reluctance: In the second part of the story that Jesus narrates, there is another son whose attitude to be observed well in order to make the different between the two sons. He is the elder son. He is always with his father. He never disobeys his father. His attachment to his father’s house and his work according to his father’s will, show that he is the true heir of the family. His attitude of obedience and observance of the law is praiseworthy because he is “just and righteous” in the eyes of his father. He has good record of personal conduct. His life goes well smoothly with the rapport between him and his father. He is happy with his father. He does not bother about his brother who has gone away. He feels safe in the presence of his father and he stays there. Later, the story takes an “U” turn. The problem starts with the return of his brother. He comes to know that his father is celebrating a feast on this occasion. His attitude changes. His conduct certificate is torn apart. He becomes arrogant and reluctant in mind and in act. He stays himself away from all these festival moments. o Unwilling to Enter into the House: First thing he does is to be reluctant to enter into the house. He accuses his father and murmurs against him for treatment he has given to his returned brother. He expresses it with the heavy words: “I am here serving you all my life. I have never disobeyed your command. But you never gave me a single goat to feast with my friends. Now you are celebrating the return of YOUR son who has wasted all your properties.” o Jealousy for His Brother: The change of attitude of the elder son is not directly towards his father but towards his brother. Until now he is happy that he is the only heir because his brother has gone away from house. Now a shade of fear falls on him. He becomes jealous of his brother. He never wished the return of his brother. With his righteous works, he thought he also is worthy of the father’s house. He becomes unwilling to step inside. He becomes reluctant to accept his brother. He becomes arrogant with the fear of losing his importance. - Story of the Father – An attitude of kindness: The younger son has rejected his father and has returned to him with the attitude of repentance. The elder son has refused to enter into the house because of his brother and has preferred to stay away from his father with the attitude of arrogance and jealousy. The bad has turned into good. The good has become bad. The only unchanging attitude is that of the father. For him both are same because both are his children, no difference of bigger or smaller, righteous or sinner. He shows his care equally to two of them. This is the attitude of kindness on the part of the father. o Goes out to embrace the younger: The Father is so kind and merciful that he does not will that his son being lost. He allows his son to take a decision in the freedom. He experiences an interior agony when his son moves out of his house. He bears the pain in silence. His love for the son does not disappear however. He wills that he returns. He expects for his coming. He waits for it with lot of sorrow in the heart. He watches for him day and night. When he sees his returning son already in the distance, he does not wait for his stepping in. He goes out to meet him. When he reaches him he does not waste a moment. He does not wait for the “words of sorry” from his son. He could not control his joy of re-finding him. He embraces him with love. He makes him again his son. The words of repentance of the son seem to be only in the air. Even before those words reach the father’s ears, his heart already bursts with joy. He orders for the feasting. o Goes out to plead the elder: The life of the younger son has reaching to a happy end. He is back again at home, with his father, but this time with full of confidence. The elder returns from the fields. He inquires the motive for the feasting. When he comes to know the true cause for the father’s joy, he becomes impatient with his father and starts grudging against his brother. He stay outside of the house. Again it is the father who goes out to meet him. He pleads him to enter in. He does not want that the house loses anyone more. His house is full with the two. He will for the fullness of the family. He convinces the elder. He makes it clear that it is an occasion of joy and feasting because the one who has returned is not someone foreigner but his own brother. The kindness of the father is manifested again even his love for the elder one. o A Feast of Reconciliation - A Feast of Life: The fullness of life takes place only when all live in unity and in mutual self-offering. All that is divided has to be united again to be perfect and complete. Here in this story too, the family is complete with the father and the two sons. As long as there remain only two – the father and one son – the family is incomplete and imperfect. The fullness is missing. There needs to be a gathering of all in the same bond of love. Only then there will be a feast. It is father who creates again the unity of his children and the fullness of his family. All have come together. The past is forgotten. The distance is erased. The guilt is pardoned. The mercy of the father, the fraternity of the brothers reign there. In a word, all are reconciled one to other. Therefore, it is not a just any feast. It is above all a feast of reconciliation. It is father who reconciles both of his sons to himself and reconciles one to the other. Two things take place: Joy Re-found and Joy Extended. The joy is because of the meeting of the son and the father. But that joy is extended to all. The entire family, household and the village partake in the joy. The joy is the result of repentance and return. Conclusion: A Lesson – “To Be” in the Father’s House and “To Be” Merciful Towards Others - An Ever-Living Story: The story that Jesus narrates today is the story which still its effect in every family. It is ever living because of it touches every relationship. We need to learn understand this truth. From our reflection we can carry to our homes for today and for the days to come two essential elements: we are invited to be always in the Father’s House and we are commissioned to be merciful towards the others. - We have life only in God’s House: Many a time, we act in our freedom. Often we tend to miss the way choosing what we want rather than giving priority to what God wants from us. We want to show our autonomy and independence. It is fine. We are created to be a free and knowledgeable beings. It does not mean that we forget our Creation and neglect our house or overlook our brothers and sisters. In freedom we need to grow. The true freedom makes one become closer to his creator. Often, we find ourselves accumulating all that we think we deserve and go away from the house of God. But, certainly there will be one day in which we come to our senses. We realize our mistake. We think we are lost. In that moment, as Christians, we need not worry. We have the way out. We have a return path made ready. We need to return to ourselves and to our home. There is always a possibility because when we put one step ahead, God puts four steps towards us. He makes our interaction possible. When we are outside, when all our forces and capabilities are devoured, we lose our life. We have no more in us. All that is in us and around us is the hunger of selfishness and the thirst of depression. On the other hand, in God’s bosom everything is abundant and overflowing. All that we lost will be regained. We will be nourished by the Spirit of courage. We have life and we have life only in God’s presence. Let us learn to stay with confidence and with joy in the Father’s house so that we can participate in the feast that he organizes for each one of us. - We have to be merciful to others: God embraces us in mercy when we get up from our fallen life and return to him. He is merciful to us. In turn, we are called to show mercy towards those who have done something wrong against us. Mercy is to be contagious. It is received and when it is received it is passed and extended to others. What is mercy. It contains two intertwined aspects: to look who is in need and to extend the hand to elevate him from his pathetic condition. God is merciful, because, he has seen our human fragile condition and furthermore, he has extended his hand to rise us up to the level of his children. We have to learn to be merciful in this sense. What we receive from God, we share it with others. The more we share what we have, we will be given more. It is the love formula of our Christian faith. Therefore, let us learn to show mercy to those who wrong against us. Only then our Lenten observation will be fruitful.